An Alternate Life
by Voyager Tip
Summary: What would have happened if a different voyager landed in Jeff's room on that fateful day in 1982? In this story, Jeff uses some state-of-the-art equipment at headquarters to find out what his life might have been like. My first foray into an Alternate Universe.
1. Teenagers!

**Teenagers!**

**Chapter 1 Teenagers**

Jeffrey approached the Mission Control entrance at headquarters and paused. He held a note in his hand, asking him to come here, but he had no idea why. It seemed strange that Bogg wasn't included. He hoped they were going to give him a project of his own. At 15, he was getting very tired of staying with Bogg all the time. In fact, just this morning he'd told him so during a rather nasty argument. It was one that Jeffrey had started on purpose over breakfast and it wasn't the first time they had argued about nothing.

Jeffrey had never really meant to hurt Bogg's feelings, but he knew he had. It was just that he was sick and tired of always walking in Bogg's shadow. It seemed that he was never allowed to be by himself, to be himself. There was always something to do. Something Bogg had decided they should do. Yesterday Jeff had refused to attend a survival training course, not because he didn't want to learn the skills, but simply because Bogg would be there too. Though he would never admit it, he'd regretted not going after it was over.

The door in front of him was suddenly pushed open and a short man left the control center. Jeff shook his head, coming out of his thoughts and finally entered. The room was abuzz with activity. He wondered if it was always this busy.

"Jeffrey, I see you've got my note," Trevor Dillon said as he walked over to the boy.

"Yes, sir, what did you want to see me about?"

Dillon motioned him into a room off to the side and they sat at a conference table. "I didn't want to send you a memo about this, or you to hear it from someone else," he began.

Jeff stared at him, "what is it?"

"Phineas left on a mission an hour or so ago."

"Without me? Why?"

"He was here when an emergency distress signal came in." He paused, "I sent him out right away, he didn't have time to find you." He sat staring at Jeff, ready for an emotional outburst, but Jeff remained quiet.

"What was the emergency?"

"I don't know, but we're tracking him and he seems to be fine."  
Jeff nodded, "so you don't know when he'll be back either."

"No, I'm afraid not. He only had a few seconds, but he wrote you this," and Trevor passed Jeff a folded scrap of paper, stapled shut.

Jeff took it slowly. "Thanks," he said softly, still trying to decide how he should feel and act. He put the note in his shirt pocket.

"No problem. I'll keep you posted."

Jeff got up to leave, but stopped at the door and turned back, "Where is he?"

"Amsterdam."

Jeff smiled. He could imagine Bogg enjoying himself in Amsterdam. "When?"

Trevor hesitated, "1942."

Jeff's stomach tightened up. He nodded soberly and left.


	2. Freedom

**Chapter 2 Freedom**

Jeff walked out and headed back to the small apartment he and Bogg had been sharing. Amsterdam in 1942 might not be dangerous he argued with himself. Germany yes, but Amsterdam was full of civilians. Bogg could've landed in a quaint area of the city, far from any army. Headquarters was tracking him, they'd know if he were in trouble. Maybe this was just what Jeff needed, some time away from Bogg. Jeff smiled, his partner was probably kissing a young maiden at this very moment. And now, suddenly Jeff was as free as he could ever remember being. He sat down on the couch and looked around the apartment. He could do anything, go anywhere. It didn't take him long to decide he was going to enjoy this freedom while he could.

He left for the rotunda a few moments later. The schedule of classes was posted there and he could choose any workshop that interested him. He poured over the listings and chose a course called Technology Update. The course description stated it covered the latest in technology innovations. Jeff spent the next hour picking up the required textbooks.

"Hey Jeff," the voice caught him by surprise. He turned and smiled at a young Voyager he'd gotten to know since they had arrived.

"Hey Daryl, how's it going?"

"What course are you taking?" Daryl asked as he turned the book in Jeff's hands to read the title.

"Technology Update."

"Me too, it's supposed to be hard, we can study together," he glanced around, "where's your partner?"

"On a mission," Jeff told him.

Daryl smiled, "Wanna hang out tonight?"

"Sure," Jeff smiled as they walked together toward the cafeteria. Daryl was a senior at Voyager Academy. In just one more semester he'd be ready for his first solo voyage. Jeff had enjoyed learning about the academy from Daryl, who had approached them a week ago. His assignment had been to interview an experienced voyager and write a paper as a way of preparing for his first solo voyage. All the senior students had chosen a voyager who happened to be at headquarters, and therefore was available. Daryl had picked Phineas Bogg. He had interviewed him privately, without Jeffrey present, and Jeff had never been told what they had talked about. He did have the impression that Daryl suffered from a bit of hero worship where Bogg was concerned. He'd told Jeffrey that his class had studied one of Bogg's tactics during a course, and he'd seemed very nervous around him in the beginning.

The course began the following morning, and Jeffrey met Daryl as they took their seats.

"So this is the kid, eh? I thought he'd be younger," said a stranger with a friendly face and light brown curly hair.

"Jeff, this is Gary, a friend of mine," Daryl introduced them.

"Hi," Jeff answered nodding toward him.

"Nice to meet you," Gary said extending his hand and they shook as the teacher called the class to order.

Their conversation was lively during their lunch break.

"I can't believe how hard the projects are," Jeff said as he put his tray down on the table.

"Yeah, and the timetable on these summer classes is so short," Gary added.

"Anybody got any ideas on what to do to explore an alternate timeline?" Daryl asked before taking a bite of his hamburger.

Jeff bit into his sandwich and sat thinking as he chewed and swallowed. An idea had occurred to him, but he hesitated to mention it.

Toward the end of the meal, Daryl spoke to Jeff. "You've been awfully quiet."

Jeff stared at him, and finally spoke. "I have an idea for a project, but it might not be allowed."

"Let's hear it," Gary asked and both he and Daryl gave their full attention to Jeffrey.


	3. The Idea

**Chapter 3 The Idea**

"Well, you know how we were just learning about how the Alternate Timeline technology has been improved?"

Both students nodded.

"I'd like to know what my life would have been like if Bogg hadn't fallen into my room. You know, what would that alternate time line be like."

They stared at Jeff.

"Playing with your own history can be really tricky," Daryl said hesitantly.

"Yeah, I know, but it's possible, right? And after all, it's not real."

"Yeah, I guess."

Jeff looked from one to the other and saw their hesitation. "Look, I just want to know what it would have been like if another voyager picked me up. That would be the only parameter we would change. Everything else would unfold like it was supposed to. That would fit the criteria for the assignment, right? Just change one variable and measure the effect?"

"You sure you want to know what would happen with somebody else?"

"You've seen how overprotective he is. It gets old, I'd just like to see how different it could've been, you know? "

"You can't change what did happen, just because you see an alternative doesn't mean you can make it happen."

Jeff rolled his eyes, "of course I know that."

"What if your life with the other voyager would've been a lot better?" Gary asked. "You'd have to live with it."

"So I live with it, come on, is it too complex a problem or can we give it a try?" Jeff asked.

Daryl glanced at Gary and then Jeff, "let's write the proposal this afternoon and see if it gets approved."

"All right!"

That afternoon, the three friends wrote a proposal for the study of the effects of a one variable change on an existing time line. The following day it was approved. They reserved time in the Alternative Timeline Generator on Thursday afternoon.

"Yes, your request can be accommodated, but I need to know which voyager you'd like to replace Bogg," the technician informed him in an amused tone.

"Can't you just send who the Omni would have sent?"

The Omni wouldn't have sent anyone else unless Voyager Bogg wasn't available."

"Can't you make him unavailable?"

"I can arrange for him to be injured," the technician said.

"Don't do that," Jeff said immediately.

Daryl spoke in his ear, "none of this is real."

Jeff glanced at him, then continued, "can't you just divert him somewhere, make his omni crash, until somebody else is assigned by the computer to drop into my room?"

"Yes, I can program that in," answered the technician. He was an interesting looking fellow. Though his hair was white, his skin was smooth and Jeff found it hard to tell how old he was.

"Okay," Jeff nodded soberly, "how long will it take?"

"Just a minute or two."

The three friends exchanged smiles as the technician typed on his keyboard.

"That should do it. Keep your eye on that display, it should show you any important action related to your future that happens in this alternate timeline."

As he stood up and left the room, they all turned toward the screen and watched it flicker on. "This is gonna be great," Jeff whispered.


	4. Dan Steel

**An Alternate Life AU**

**Chapter 4 Dan Steel**

**Alternate**

_Phineas Bogg landed hard on a large flat rock and lay still for several seconds._

**Regular**

"He wasn't supposed to hurt him," Jeff whispered.

"It's not real," Daryl whispered and Jeff rolled his eyes.

"I know already!"

**Alternate**

_"Ugh, crazy Omni," Bogg grunted as he sat up and opened his Omni. "1492, okay, where's Columbus," he sighed and stood up unsteadily. He shook his head to clear it, something wasn't right. Finally he glanced around and headed down a narrow path toward the sound of hammers banging._

_The screen suddenly changed, revealing 11-year old Jeffrey Jones in his bedroom. He stood against the doorway, listening at the crack. Jeffrey was glad they couldn't hear what his aunt had said. He wasn't so sure he wanted Daryl to know what she'd said. He'd never even told Bogg._

_ Suddenly, a loud thud filled the air and as they watched, a strange voyager started breaking the window from the outside._

_ Jeff stared at his window in shock as the man climbed in._

_ "What am I doing here? Who're you?" asked a tall blond haired man._

_ Ralph ran toward him and sank his teeth into the book in his hand. As they scuffled, Jeffrey ran to the dog._

_ "Give it up Ralph!" he cried and lost his grip, "help!" he yelled as he fell backwards, out of the window. Without a second thought, the stranger jumped out after him._

_ They landed on a patch of grass a few feet apart. "That was weird," the man said._

_ "Are we alive?" Jeff asked, staring at the stranger._

_ "Oh no," Dan Steel moaned as he spied the boy over his shoulder, "what year was that?"_

_ "What year?"_

_ "What year," this time the tone was more forceful._

_ "1982, and I'd like to know where we are now? What is this place?" Jeff asked in awe, glancing around._

_ "Listen kid, my Omni doesn't even go up to 1982," he pulled a device off his belt and opened the lid. "Red light, figures."_

_ There was a moment of silence as the man contemplated the boy._

_ "Okay, grab my arm," he ordered._

_ "What for?" Jeff answered._

_ "We're getting out of here, that's what for."_

_ "I don't even know where 'here' is!"_

_ "Just as well, now grab on," and the man approached the boy, opened the omni and they disappeared._


	5. Not So Familiar Scenes

**An Alternate Life AU**

**Chapter 5 Not So Familiar Scenes**

** Alternate**

_The screen flashed white and then became a street in Paris, 1918. The two voyagers landed together on a stack of flour sacks._

_ "I don't believe this!" the man whispered angrily. _

_ "Where are we now?" Jeff asked as he stared into the street._

_ The man opened the Omni, then closed it again. "We're supposed to be at headquarters. This Omni isn't acting right, this can't be happening!"_

_ "Who are you? What are you?"_

_ "That dog of yours has my book!" Dan shouted angrily. "I don't believe this!"_

_ Jeff stared in shock at the stranger. "What are you?" he whispered again._

_ "That's none of your business, I've gotta get rid of you." He reached out for Jeffrey's arm and pushed the button._

oOo

_"Dayton, Ohio, 1903, red light. Great." Voyager Dan Steel said these words quietly, in frustration. He'd been trying to get back to headquarters since he'd accidentally picked up the kid and nothing had worked. The only thing he hadn't tried was triggering an automatic recall, which occurred if the Omni was activated 8 times within an hour. He hated to drag the kid through the cosmos so many times, but it seemed like the only way he could get back to headquarters so he could get his Guidebook and more importantly, get rid of the boy. _

_ He knew that more trips would make his memory much harder to erase, but that couldn't be helped. He would just have to stay at headquarters until the effects of the voyages wore off, then his memory could be erased and he could be put back into his life in 1982._

oOo

_He reached for Jeff's arm again and pushed the button. This time they landed in a gladiator ring._

_ "Hold on kid," Dan ordered and Jeff felt too dazed to argue, so he watched Dan push the button again. They landed in a haystack with bombs exploding nearby. _

_ "Yeah, I know," Jeff yelled over the explosions as he grabbed Dan's arm before he was told to hang on._

oOo

_Now they landed on a pile of garbage. It was quiet, and as Dan reached for Jeffrey's arm, the boy pulled away. He slid off the pile, stood up and tried to run, but stumbled and fell to his knees in the alley. Flashes of light were going off inside his head before it hit the floor of the alley. _

_ "Get back here!" Dan yelled and lunged for him, but when he finally touched the boy, his arm was limp. Dan paused and looked more closely at the kid. He was pale and sweating. "What's wrong with you?" he asked. When Jeff didn't answer right away, he spoke louder. "What's the matter?"_

_ "I don't know," Jeff whispered. He could barely hear the question and his arms felt like lead weights._

_ Dan stared at him and finally sat down. "Okay, we'll rest a minute. So many quick trips through the cosmos can make a person sick if they aren't used to it."_

_ After a few minutes, Jeffrey asked a question. "Cosmos? That's what those lights were?"_

_ "Yeah."_

_ Jeff lay still, his face against the cool floor of the alley, feeling better by the minute, and suddenly very curious. "What are you?" he asked again._

_ Dan looked at the sky and finally gave up. "I'm a Voyager. I fix history when it gets messed up."_

_ "What's your name?"_

_ "Dan Steel. What's yours?"_

_ "Jeffrey Jones."_


	6. Six National Anthems

**An Alternate Life AU**

**Chapter 6 Six National Anthems**

** Alternate**

_Jeff looked around, "so where are we anyway?"_

_ Dan flipped open the Omni, "Baltimore, 1814, a red light, and I don't have any idea what's wrong. That's why I need to get back to headquarters. So I can get my guidebook and get rid of you."_

_ "We traveled through time?" Jeff said in a stunned voice._

_ "Yeah, if you've got any ideas about what needs to be fixed, just let me know," Dan said dejectedly. He shifted position and stood up as Jeff noticed a fluttering out of the corner of his eye._

_ Jeff stood up too, and together they walked out of the alley. As they reached the street, Dan bent to pick up the paper. He read it to himself._

_ "What's that?"_

_ "A poem, it's familiar," he paused, then began to read aloud, "Oh Say! Can you see by the dawn's early light, what so proudly we hailed.."_

_ "At the twilight's last gleaming," Jeff finished excitedly, then turned to scan the area. He spied a well-dressed man walking away and reached out for the paper, but Dan wouldn't let it go._

_ "What's with you?"_

_ "These are the words to our national anthem, that's Francis Scott Key, I have to give them back to him."_

_ Dan let go of the paper and watched Jeff run to the man and exchange a few words as he gave him the paper. "That's impossible," he whispered._

_ Jeff jogged back as Dan opened the Omni, "it's green," he whispered, "how'd you know what that was?"_

_ "My Dad was a history professor, he taught me about Francis Scott Key. And everybody knows the National Anthem," Jeff answered and smiled. _

_ Dan stared at him in surprise. This was an interesting turn of events. "I know 6 national anthems," he said._

_ Jeff stared at him uncertainly, "that's a lot," he finally said._

_ "You feel up to another trip through the cosmos? I really gotta get you back."_

_ Jeff shrugged sadly, he had to admit that he didn't want to go back to his aunt. "I guess."_

_ "All right, let's try again," and Dan once again pushed the button._


	7. Ben and the Kite

**An Alternate Life AU**

**Chapter 7 Ben and the Kite**

** Alternate**

_This time they landed in a grassy field. _

_ Dan shook his head and sighed loudly._

_ "Where are we now?" Jeff asked, shaking his head to clear his vision._

_ "Pennsylvania, 1752, and look at that!" Dan said, pointing to an old man in spectacles, who stood nearby holding a kite. Dan stood up and ran toward him, and Jeff followed shakily._

_ Dan reached the man and looked back for Jeff. He was following slowly and Dan shook his head. He hoped the kid could stand one more trip, because they'd have to make another before the automatic recall kicked in._

_ "Let me guess," Dan began, "you're Benjamin Franklin."_

_ "Wow! Ben Franklin!" Jeff exclaimed as he approached and overheard what was said._

_ "I'd rather no one knew my name at the moment, I seem to be having a devil of a time flying this kite."_

_ "It's too heavy," Dan told him and began tearing the tail to make it shorter._

_ "You're doing an experiment!" Jeff said excitedly._

_ "Course he is kid, he's Ben Franklin," Dan told him sternly._

_ Jeff's shoulders slumped._

_ "Yes, I'm trying to prove that lightening is charged with two kinds of electricity"_

_ "Here you go," Dan interrupted, "now I'll just get this up into the air for you.."_

_ Jeff stepped forward and started to speak, but stopped as Dan took the kite and turned away. He tossed the kite up and quickly let the string out. It went higher and higher as Jeff watched quietly, wishing he could have flown the kite._

_ Suddenly there was a rumble of thunder and Dan quickly walked back and handed the string to Franklin._

_ "Thank you so much sir," said the gentlemen._

_ "No problem, good luck," Dan answered taking out the Omni and turning to Jeff._

_ "He doesn't need luck, he's a great inventor," Jeff said._

_ "Course he is kid, everyone knows that," Dan answered in a condescending tone._

_ "I just wanted to talk to him," Jeff whispered._

_ "Voyagers can't do anything that could affect the time stream. That means we can't talk to famous people any more than we have to."_

_ "Oh."_

_ "Grab on kid."_

_ Jeff hesitated, "I don't think I should."_

_ Dan shook his head and spoke louder, "you are NOT doing this to me. We need to travel once more to get back to headquarters, whether it makes you sick or not."_

_ Jeff nodded, he wasn't sure what was going on, but he didn't want to make this Voyager angry at him. He took hold of his arm and Dan pushed the button._

** Real**

"Our time is up, we'll have to come back tonight," Daryl whispered as the screen went blank.

Jeffrey shook his head to clear it. He'd been so mesmerized by the action on the screen that he hadn't even realize their time was spent. He walked out with Daryl and Gary.

"How're you doing?" Daryl asked.

"It seemed so real," Jeff whispered. "I really would've said those things and reacted that way. Do lots of trips with the Omni really make you sick?"

"Only some people, when they aren't used to it, but some people are so sensitive that they can really get sick or even die if they travel too often within a small space of time."

"Do you think I'm one of those people?"

"I don't know, maybe just because you were so young."

"See you tomorrow," Daryl said and waved as they parted and Jeff headed to the deli and then back to the apartment. Later that night, he sat on the edge of the bed in the room he shared with Bogg and stared at the empty bed against the other wall. His first minutes with Bogg hadn't been very pleasant either. Dan Steel may still end up being a better fit for him than Bogg was, but even so, he was starting to feel just a little guilty about the project. He hoped Bogg never found out exactly what their project consisted of.


	8. Travel Overload

**An Alternate Life AU**

**Chapter 8 Travel Overload**

** Real**

Back in the chamber the next morning, Jeff anxiously tuned in the scanner.

** Alternate **

_Headquarters Omni Control Center was quiet when they landed, but Jeffrey's presence caused an immediate stir._

_ "I need to see Trevor," Dan said loudly as he stood up._

_ Jeff coughed and tried to stand also, but fell sideways as his legs buckled. _

_ "What happened?" Trevor Dillon asked Dan as he knelt beside Jeffrey. "Just lay still," he told him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder._

_ "Overload." Dan said as they lifted Jeffrey onto a stretcher._

_ "Thanks," Jeff whispered as his gaze met Trevor's._

_ While Jeff was whisked away to the Medical Center, Dan followed Trevor into his office._

_ "It's not my fault," Dan began immediately. Then he quickly explained how he had picked up Jeffrey and how his omni had malfunctioned._

_ "All right, I'll have your omni examined, but the boy's status needs to be decided by a Tribunal."_

_ Dan sighed, "Okay, when can we get on the docket?"_

_ "It'll be a week. Until then, you're responsible for him."_

_ "Me? Now that's not fair Trevor! I've been stuck with him since I picked him up!"_

_ "Look, you brought him here, so you're it until a Tribunal rules otherwise."_

_ "But.."_

_ "You don't think I should look after him, do you?"_

_ "No, of course not."_

_ "Then who?"_

_ Dan Steel clenched his jaw before he replied. "Do I need to stay at the hospital with him too?"_

_ Trevor considered him before he spoke. "I think we can assume he'll be cared for as long as he's in the Medical Center."_

_ "All right, but get it on the docket as soon as you can." _

_ He walked out and made his way to the Medical Center to inquire about Jeffrey. The young woman at the Intake Desk was glad to give him information on the boy once he identified himself as the responsible party._

_ "His diagnosis is Travel Overload. He's stable, but you know the treatment. He'll need to lay flat for a day or two." She paused, "I think he's asleep, you can go in if you want."_

_ "No thanks, beep me if he gets worse, otherwise I'll see you tomorrow." _

_ As Dan left the area he breathed a sigh of relief. "Now for some fun," he whispered and headed for the social complex._

_ Later that day, Jeffrey opened his eyes to a bright room._

_ "Well, hi!" said a friendly voice._

_ Jeff smiled immediately, "hi… where am I?" As he tried to sit up, the room began to spin and a loud buzzing sound reached his ears._

_ "…it's hard to remember, I know…" continued the voice as Jeffrey opened his eyes again._

_ "Huh?" he whispered._

_ "You have to lay flat for at least a day, maybe two," the voice began again. "You have Travel Overload."_

_ Jeff stared at her for a moment before speaking, "what's that?"_

_ "You've taken too many trips through the cosmos in too short a time. You just need to recover."_

_ "Who're you?"_

_ "I'm Jeannie, I've been assigned to monitor you for the first few hours here," she told him and smiled._

_ "I'm Jeff, and where exactly is here?"_

_ Jeff listened with rapt attention as Jeannie began to explain what had happened to him._

_ "Is Dan okay? Where is he?"_

_ Jeannie paused, "he left after he checked you in," she said quietly._

_ "Oh." _

The screen suddenly changed and Dan's face appeared. He was talking to another Voyager, a very pretty one.

_"I couldn't believe it Sheila, I was stuck with an idiot kid! And then my omni malfunctioned and I couldn't get back!"_

_ The beautiful brunette leaned forward as she spoke, "so what did you do?"_

_ "Well, I couldn't just leave him, and I couldn't take him on missions, so I used the recall function to bring him back here. Nothing else to do really, but now they say I'm responsible for him until the tribunal decides what to do with him!"_

_ "Bringing him back here was a nice thing to do," she told him as she raised her finger to stroke his cheek. Her voice got softer as she spoke, and they leaned toward each other and kissed passionately. A moment later, they stood up and headed for the stairs. As they left the area, the background of the scene came into view. It showed Phineas Bogg playing a piano on the far side of the room for a few seconds before it winked out._


	9. About Bogg

**An Alternate Life AU**

**Chapter 9 About Bogg **

** Real**

Jeff had been leaning forward, his full concentration on the screen before him. After the screen went blank, he sat back in the chair, a half-surprised, half-shocked look on his face. He closed his mouth as he remembered a brief scene from his last mission with Bogg.

**In the Real Past**

_ "Hey look!" Phineas said as their eyes became accustomed to the dim light. Jeff looked up and noticed him pointing at a piano across the room._

_ "What about it?" Jeff asked._

_ "I wonder if it's in tune?" Bogg asked walking over and touching the top of the instrument._

_ "What's the difference, you can't play it anyway," Jeff said as he continued walking toward a desk at the far end of the room. Phineas followed him and they noticed no one was around._

_ "Sure I can," Bogg answered._

_ "Oh come on Bogg, there's no way you can play."_

_ "Why not?" Bogg said indignantly._

_ Jeff rolled his eyes, "because you have to practice a lot," he paused, "and you aren't exactly known for being studious."_

_ "There's a lot you don't know about me, and one thing is that I play the piano!" Phineas answered with irritation._

_ "Okay then, play something," Jeff challenged._

_ Phineas hesitated, "well, I can't just sit down and..."_

_ "Give it up Bogg," Jeff interrupted him, "come on, let's go outside, we aren't gonna solve the red light in here."_

_ Bogg looked back at the piano and sighed, then followed Jeff toward the stairs._

**Real universe, present time**

Jeff hadn't believed him when he'd said he could play the piano. At the time he hadn't given any thought to his comments, but now he wondered if he'd hurt Bogg's feelings. How could he not know this about his partner, they'd been together for almost four years.

"Hey Jeff!" Daryl poked him hard with his index finger, "what's up?"

Jeff looked at him, but spoke to the technician as he re-entered the booth. "Is everything about the person true in these timelines?"

"People's reactions are based on what we know about them and how the computer thinks they'll respond to…"

"No, I mean, could someone have a talent, like playing a musical instrument in the alternate timeline that they didn't have in the real one?"

He shook his head, "no, we don't create or change people, this machine just predicts how they would most likely act in a new situation."

"Oh."

Daryl glanced at Jeff several times as they walked away, as if he was trying to understand what was happening. "What's wrong?" he finally asked.

"I didn't know Bogg could play the piano."

"Not very well, no wonder he kept it a secret," Daryl chuckled.

Jeff bristled, "well he goes years without practicing, what do you expect!"

"Okay, calm down!"

They continued on in silence, and when they reached the cafeteria, Jeff picked up a sandwich and continued on to the apartment. He sat down at the small kitchen table and started to eat. Suddenly the phrase Trevor Dillon had spoken came to the front of his mind. _He seems to be fine._ All of a sudden that phrase didn't sound quite so comforting. Suddenly, Jeff could think of many ways that a voyager could be in danger, even injured, that would appear fine to their tracker. He put his sandwich down on the plate and stared at it, wondering if Bogg was hungry.

As the evening wore on, he found himself thinking about Dan Steel. Dan had forced him to take eight trips through the cosmos within one hour, knowing it would make him sick. Bogg would never have done that… didn't do that. Bogg had just kept solving red lights. Obviously he'd been able to trigger the Recall Function if he'd wanted to, but as far as Jeffrey knew, he hadn't even considered it. Jeff was sure he knew the reason. Bogg would never intentionally cause harm to anyone. Obviously the same wasn't true for Dan. Jeff had often made fun of Bogg for being too kind hearted, especially where women were concerned, but maybe that was an asset instead of a liability. And Dan had been terrified that he had a kid with him, but Jeff couldn't remember Bogg ever seeming afraid about traveling with a kid.

Jeff lay down while these thought circled inside his head. For the first time since Bogg had left, he realized how much he missed him. He said a quiet prayer for Bogg's safety before he drifted off to sleep.


	10. Meeting Bogg

**An Alternate Life AU**

**Chapter 10 Meeting Bogg**

** Real**

Class the following morning seemed to last forever, and as soon as it was over, Daryl, Gary and Jeffrey headed for the lab.

"I didn't mean anything yesterday, you know?" Daryl had said during the first class break.

"I was mad at myself, not you," Jeff answered.

"I think Voyager Bogg is great, I really do," Daryl continued, "but I don't think you're very logical where he's concerned."

"What do you mean? I'm always logical!" Jeff returned, incensed.

"You said he was overprotective."

"He is!"

"Doesn't he let you solve red lights? And didn't he leave you here with no supervision? How is it overprotective if he does those things?"

Jeff hesitated, Daryl just didn't understand. Bogg wasn't always overprotective, he was just, well, here Jeff was stumped. Bogg seemed overprotective, but was he?

They waved to Dennis and entered the chamber and took their seats as the screen flicked on.

** Alternate**

_In the Medical Center, Jeff sat up in bed._

_ "Great job!" Jeannie told him. "Now I want you to eat breakfast, and if that goes okay, we can release you."_

_ "Where would I go?" Jeff asked as he took a bite of toast._

_ She shrugged, "I guess wherever your," she paused, "Voyager Steel says," she finished lamely._

_ "Will you be there?" Jeff asked hopefully._

_ "No, I have to work." She turned away and exhaled as she left the room._

_ At the desk, she asked about Jeff's status._

_ "Voyager Steel is supposed to be on his way," the manager explained._

_ An hour later, Jeff was led out of the room to a waiting area. He sat quietly as he waited, but soon was thumbing through a few magazines that were strewn across the few tables in the sparsely decorated area._

_ As the morning wore on, other people came, waited, then left. Soon Jeff stood up and stretched and began to pace._

** Real**

"Where is he? I thought he was supposed to come get me?" Jeff said as they watched.

"Let's jump ahead an hour," Daryl replied.

But the scene didn't change. So they jumped ahead another hour, then another, until finally at 3 PM, Dan Steel walked in.

** Alternate**

_"It's about time, I've been waiting forever!" Jeff accused the older voyager as soon as he saw Dan._

_ "Let's get one thing straight," Dan responded sternly, pointing his finger at Jeff, "I don't want you, but I'm stuck with you until we go to court. End of story. So I don't want to hear any complaints. You should be thanking me that I didn't leave you in some orphanage somewhere."_

_ This proclamation silenced Jeff immediately. His shoulders slumped and he stared at the floor. When Dan turned, he moved to follow him quietly down the hall._

_ "Where are we going?" Jeff asked as he followed Dan, trying to keep up with his long strides._

_ Dan stopped and pointed straight ahead, "that's the dormitory. We all stay there when we're back at headquarters," he said, and continued on toward the huge building. He took Jeffrey up to a small room on the second floor. "This is your room, I'm next door. Stay in this building and you won't get into trouble. If you leave it, well, I'm not responsible for what happens." He paused, "I've got something to do, so I'll see you tomorrow."_

_ "I'm hungry, where can I eat?" Jeff asked as Dan paused on his way out the door._

_ "They didn't feed you at the hospital?"_

_ "Breakfast."_

_ Dan sighed and rolled his eyes._

_ "Hey Dan," Bogg greeted him as he approached the door across the hall and inserted a key into the lock._

_ "Look kid, just find the cafeteria and get something, okay? I'll see you tomorrow." He turned to leave and caught Bogg's eye. "Phineas," he acknowledged him, then pulled the door shut and left._

_ Phineas Bogg watched Dan walk away, and then stared at the door he'd just pulled closed. After a moment, he approached it and knocked._

_ Jeff stood still in the center of the room after Dan pulled the door closed. "Where's the cafeteria?" he whispered to himself, but before he could think about anything else, he heard a knock._

_ Jeff smiled and pulled the door open, "I knew you…" his smile disappeared when he saw a stranger standing there._

_ Phineas saw the smile fade quickly, replaced by a look of fear that was quickly covered up by another smile. "Who're you?" Jeff asked, with false bravado._

_Bogg held out his hand, "Phineas Bogg."_

_ "Phineas?" Jeff asked in disbelief as they shook._

_ Bogg shrugged, "that's my name, what's yours?"_

_ "Jeffrey Jones." He paused, "what do you want?"_

_ "I heard you say you were hungry, I was just heading out for an early supper, and I thought you might want to come." Bogg seemed to be able to watch the wheels turn in Jeff's mind. He'd been afraid at first, so he had acted tough, but he could tell that hunger was winning out._

_ "Yeah, okay," Jeff replied almost immediately._

_ "Come on then," Bogg motioned with his head and they started down the hall together._

_ As they walked, Bogg started to explain the layout of the complex. In the cafeteria, Bogg began another bit of education._

_ "Did Dan give you a code for food?" Jeff shook his head. "You don't need money here, because everything works on a code system. We type in our code instead of paying for food and other things. My code is 126, you can use that."_

_ "Thanks," Jeff said and typed the numbers into the screen as they left the line._

_ They ate in silence, until Jeff finally spoke. "Why're you doing this?"_

_ "Doing what?"_

_ "Teaching me this, giving me your code, you know, being nice."_

_ "I'm a nice guy."_

_ "No really, you don't even know me."_

_ "I know you said you were hungry."_

_ "So?"_

_ Bogg shrugged, "So if you're hungry, I'll feed you, what's so hard to understand about that?"_

_ "Dan didn't care that I was hungry."_

_ "Every voyager is different, we're just people you know."_

_ "Oh."_

_ "This is my favorite," Bogg said digging into a giant piece of chocolate cake._

_ Jeff smiled, then chuckled and tried his piece, "it IS good," he said with his mouth full._

_ "I heard you have to wait a week for the Tribunal to decide what to do with you."_

_ "Word gets around I guess."_

_ "Yeah, so we should find you something to do to take up your time. What do you like?"_

_ "I like to read."_

_Bogg took another bite of the chocolate cake and slowly chewed it. "How do you feel about libraries?" he finally asked._

_ "I love libraries…is there one here?"_

_ Bogg nodded as he finished the cake. "Come on, I'll show you," and they got up and left through a side door._

_ "Dan told me not to leave the building," Jeff said, hesitating as they stepped outside._

_ Phineas faced him, "you're with me. Besides, once you get a book, you'll be able to read to pass the time in your room."_

_ Jeff smiled from ear to ear, "alright!" he exclaimed._

_They walked across a large expanse of grass and between two buildings off to the left._

_ "Why were you having such an early supper?" Jeff asked as they walked._

_ "I wanted to get to bed early, my Omni's been malfunctioning, I haven't had a break." They walked further and turned a corner, "there it is."_

_ The building was huge, and Jeff smiled as he thought about all the books it could hold. He jogged the last few steps and pulled the door handle, but it didn't budge. He glanced at Bogg in confusion._

_"Use the keypad," Bogg instructed, indicating an area next to the door._

_ Jeff typed 126 into the keypad and heard a click as the door unlocked._

_They found their way to the young adult section and Jeffrey began searching up and down the stacks, while Phineas sat down to wait. He leaned back and closed his eyes._

_ "The library will be closing in 30 minutes, please make your way to the lower level." The announcement was loud enough to startle Phineas and he sat up quickly. He must have fallen asleep. He glanced around and saw the kid, curled up on a chair a few feet away, sound asleep, an open book in his lap._

_ "Hey kid, time to go," he said as he moved to shake his arm._

_ "Huh?"_

_ "Guess we were both tired. It's time to leave."_

_ Jeff nodded and stood up. "They said I'd sleep a lot."_

_ Bogg frowned, "who said? Were you in the medical center today?"_

_ "Yeah."_

_It was dark as they made their way back to the dormitory._

_ As they approached their rooms, Bogg spoke again, "you just got out of the infirmary, maybe you shouldn't be alone. You can stay with me tonight if you want."_

_ Jeff hesitated, and glanced at the door of his room across the hall, then up at Bogg. "I… okay, thanks."_


	11. The Apple Tree

**An Alternate Life AU**

**Chapter 11 The Apple Tree**

** Real**

"I don't believe this," Jeff muttered as he watched his 11-year old self smile and enter his future partner's room.

"That's interesting, isn't it?" Daryl commented. "It looks like you end up with Phineas anyway."

"This isn't the way it was supposed to be, I'm supposed to see what it would be like with someone else."

"You should've had him killed so there'd be no way you would run into him."

"Maybe we could run it again, give Bogg some problem that will take up all his time," Jeff replied.

"That's not the experiment, we have to let this play out."

"I already know how it plays out with Bogg," he muttered, then sighed. "Okay, let's jump ahead to the next important event."

** Alternate**

_Phineas Bogg appeared on the screen. He sat on the steps of a porch, fiddling with his Omni. "This darn thing still isn't right," he mumbled. He looked up when he heard quick footsteps, and saw Jeff run around the corner of the building carrying a large rubber ball. He reached out to break his fall when he saw him stumble and felt Jeff's weight hit his side. The cosmos appeared and they landed on a grassy lawn.  
"Not again!" Jeffrey whined._

_ Phineas Bogg glanced over at the boy. "Oh no," he moaned. He stood up and unhooked the omni from his belt and opened it. "1669, England," he paused and sighed, "red light."_

_ Jeffrey had stood up at the same time and taken a step away from the voyager._

_ "I won't go back right away," he said forcefully._

_ "Course not, I'm not leaving a red light just because you're with me," Bogg declared in surprise._

_ "You're not?"_

_ "Voyagers don't ignore red lights kid, we fix em."_

_ "But Dan took me through eight red lights to get to headquarters."_

_ Phineas paused, "eight?" he asked in surprise. "Not in an hour?"_

_ Jeff nodded._

_ "The recall function," he said to himself. He stared at Jeff for a second before he continued. "So how'd you do with that?"_

_ "That's why I was in the Medical Center."_

_ "That would make anyone sick."_

_ Jeff nodded and they stood in silence sizing each other up, until finally Bogg opened the Omni again._

_ "June 6, 1669. I don't have my guidebook, you got any ideas kid?"_

_ "Ideas about what?"_

_ "About what's wrong here, what should we do to fix it?"_

_ Jeff glanced around uncertainly, "you want me to do something?" he asked in surprise._

_ "You're supposed to know history, just do what you did with Dan."_

_ "All I ever did with him was get sick! I already told you that," Jeff said nastily._

_ "Well, that's not good enough now! I just told you I don't have my guidebook!" Bogg answered angrily._

_ "Don't yell at me! All I did was trip! You're the one who won't leave a red light! You're the one who doesn't have your guidebook! Don't you know any history without using that book?"_

_ Phineas took a deep breath, "smart kids give me a pain," he muttered and started toward a nearby path._

_ Jeff marched after him, "where're you goin?" he demanded with bravado._

_ "I'm going to solve this red light, then I'm going to take you back."_

_ Suddenly they spotted a man chasing some papers that were being blown across the lawn._

_ Bogg caught several of them and the gentleman hurried over to them._

_ "Thank you."_

_ "No problem," Bogg said holding out his hand, "Phineas Bogg," then he pointed at Jeff, "Jeffrey Jones."_

_ "I'm Isaac Newton."_

_ Jeff's eyes bugged out and he looked around. He spied the nearby apple tree as Newton was explaining the problem he was trying to solve. He touched Bogg's arm and motioned with his head for them to move away._

_ "He can't stay there," Jeff said, indicating the spot where Newton was sitting once again with his books._

_ "Why not?"_

_ Jeff pointed to the apple hanging nearby, "he has to be there in order to come up with the theory of gravity."_

_ Bogg stared at the apple and then back at the boy, "under the tree?" he said skeptically._

_ Jeff nodded, "under the apple."_

_ "Okay, follow my lead."_

_ Jeff followed him to Newton's side._

_ "Mr. Newton, are you alright?" Bogg asked worriedly._

_ "Yes, what's the matter?"_

_ "Sunburn," Jeff said._

_ "Sunstroke," Bogg corrected._

_ "I do lose track of the time, maybe I should go in now," Newton said._

_ Jeff shook his head as he gazed at Phineas._

_ "There's no need to do that, why don't you sit under this nice shady tree?" Bogg continued, taking his arm and guiding him under the apple._

_ Newton sat down where Bogg indicated. "Yes this is much better. Ow!"_

_ Bogg opened the omni as the apple fell and hit Newton in the head and he and Jeff watched it turn green. They turned and walked away together._

_ "Good job kid," Bogg said._

_ "It was like a force pulled the apple to the earth…" Newton's voice faded as they walked farther away._

_ Jeff was smiling ear to ear when Bogg faced him._

_ "I do have to get you back, but I think we should wait a few minutes at least, to make sure you're okay."_

_ Jeff nodded, relieved and continued to smile. "That was fun!" he exclaimed._


	12. Reality

**An Alternate Life AU**

**Chapter 12 Reality**

** Real**

Jeff shook his head and sighed. "This is ridiculous," he muttered as Daryl laughed out loud. "What're you laughing about?" he grumbled.

"Well, it is kinda funny, don't you think?" Daryl paused and Jeff turned away. "Did it happen that way the first time, with Isaac Newton I mean?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"Phineas just did what you told him to do?"

"Yeah."

"I wish someone did that with me, I mean, just look at all the experiences you've had."

"Let's just watch the hearing, then we can be done, okay?" Jeff said in a flat voice.

"Okay, whatever you say."

** Alternate**

_The hearing room was familiar as Jeff and Daryl took in the scene before them._

_ Professor Garth pounded the gavel and called the gathering to order. "What are the facts of the case?" he asked._

_ Dan stood up. "My omni put me in Jeff's room in 1982. We had a problem, Jeff lost his balance and fell out the window." Dan continued to describe the situation, including a lengthy opinion that Jeffrey should not be his responsibility. Garth lifted some papers and appeared to be reading them. When Dan finished, Garth looked up._

_ "Our records show that Jeffrey Jones is supposed to be a voyager," Garth began._

_ "I am?" Jeff whispered in surprise._

_ "Also, that he is supposed to be voyaging with someone who will train him. It appears the omni system selected you, Voyager Steel."_

_ Dan's jaw dropped. "No, you can't expect me to train him, how will I get my job done?"_

_ "It appears you will need to find a way. This tribunal grants you full responsibility for Jeffrey Jones commencing today."_

_ Dan shook his head, "I won't be able to do my job with him tagging along."_

_ "You have your assignment."_

_ After a long moment, Dan continued. "If he has to observe, so be it, but I refuse to allow him to speak. I can't have him talking to important historical figures."_

_ Garth and the others leaned towards each other and spoke in hushed tones. "That is acceptable."_

_ Dan shook his head again in obvious disgust and turned toward Jeffrey. "You heard them, no talking during a mission. No interference from you at all. Understand?"_

_ Jeff nodded in confusion and followed him out._

** Real**

"So you didn't end up with Phineas after all," Daryl said. "So, how about tomorrow we look at 3 years in the future, when you're as old as you are now?"

Jeff smiled, "definitely, I bet I end up solving red lights despite the ruling. It'll be fun to see how different I am."

As Jeffrey and Daryl walked away from the lab, a messenger called to them.

"I have a message for Jeffrey Jones," he said as he handed Jeff a folded piece of paper.

"What is it?" Daryl asked as Jeff read it.

"Trevor wants to see me in Mission Control," Jeff replied and started walking quickly. Outside Mission Control, Darly paused to wait and Jeff pushed on the buzzer and was let in immediately. Trevor Dillon stood up and motioned him into the same familiar meeting room.

"Is something wrong? Is Bogg okay?" Jeff asked as he followed Dillon.

"Earlier today we lost the tracking on his omni," Trevor related without hesitation.

There was silence for a heartbeat.

"What could cause that?" Jeff asked, not sure that he wanted to hear the answer.

"Most often it's caused by location. He could be near a combination of metals that negate the temporomagnetic field the omni generates."

"And less often?"

"Sabotage, but we haven't picked up any evidence of that."

Jeff sat in shock and took a deep breath, unsure what to say.

"There's something else."

Jeff looked him in the eye and waited.

"We detected a spike in his vital signs before we lost the tracking."

"So he could be hurt, and his omni doesn't work?"

"It looks that way," Trevor answered gently. "We'll be working around the clock on this and I've sent a team to his last known location."

"I want to go," Jeff said immediately.

"Not this time, son."

oooOooo

Jeffrey slowly walked back to the apartment.

"How about if I stay with you tonight," Daryl was suddenly beside him.

Jeff looked at him slowly, "okay." He entered and sat down on the edge of the bed and began to unbutton his shirt. As he took it off, a paper fell from the pocket. It was what Bogg had written to him before he left. Slowly he tore it open.

_Jeff,  
__  
The last two days don't matter. Nothing has changed between us.  
__See you when I get back._

_ Bogg  
_

Jeff sat reading the short note. He felt numb as he stared at the paper, his eyes following the words again slowly across the page. Bogg must've felt bad about leaving when things weren't good between them. He felt a dull ache in his chest as he lay back down on the bed and stared at the ceiling.

The next morning Jeff was up early and Daryl accompanied him to Mission Control for a report before going to class.

"If there's any change I'll send you a message right away," Trevor had assured him.


	13. Three Years Later

**An Alternate Life AU**

**Chapter 13 Three Years Later**

** Real**

"We don't have to finish the simulation today," Daryl started after class.

"It's okay, we can finish," Jeff answered, "I need something to keep me busy anyway."

So they made their way back to the simulation chamber and Jeff set the dials for 3 years in the future. He would be the same age that he was right now.

** Alternate**

_The boy on the screen was dirty and unkempt. He swaggered up and down a line of boys who appeared equally disheveled._

_ "What went wrong?" Jeff shouted at the group._

_ The other boys shifted feet and stared at the ground._

_ "Isn't there anyone here who can make a decision besides me?" he asked in a harsh voice. "That was an easy target, just because things didn't go exactly as we planned, all of you decide to give up?"_

_ "He had a knife," one of the boys explained._

_ "So did you," Jeff answered in a low menacing voice._

_ The boy shrugged._

_ Jeff stared him down. "I'll do it," he finally said and put his hand out._

_ The boy handed him the knife and he slipped it into the belt behind his back so it was covered by his faded denim jacket. Then he turned and walked out of the alley. Moving quickly, he entered a grocery on the corner._

** Real**

"What's going on?" Jeff whispered. "Where is this happening?"

Daryl scanned the dials, "New York City, the readout says you're a runaway, 1986."

"A runaway? But why? How much does the readout say?"

"Let's print out a summary of the past 3 years, we can go through it outside so we won't tie up the machine."

So they turned off the simulator and found a room close by.

"Let me see that," Jeff said and together they began scanning the pages.

After some time Jeff leaned back, staring at the wall.

"Who's Elizabeth?"

"My aunt."

"You ran away when you were 13. She got you out of juvenile detention the first time, but it looks like she gave up on you after you ran away the second time."

"Yeah."

"Why would you run away from her?"

Jeff stared at the printout for a moment more, and then folded it in half. "Doesn't matter," he whispered. He knew exactly why he would have run away. His aunt had never wanted him in the first place. It would have been torture to grow up with her. He could easily picture himself becoming angry enough to run away. And he could picture his aunt being relieved that he wasn't around.

"So Dan must've taken you back to 1982."

"I guess."

"Jeffrey Jones?" the strange voice startled Jeff as a message was placed into his hand.

"They found him," Jeff said as he read the note. He started moving quickly, and Daryl hurried to keep up.


	14. Just A Kid

**An Alternate Life AU**

**Chapter 14 Just A Kid**

**Real **

Jeff paced back and forth, his heart pounding. When both voyagers materialized he easily picked out Bogg and approached. He was dusty and looked exhausted, but he was standing up. Jeff hesitated, and then approached him, slowly at first, then suddenly rushing forward to embrace.

Bogg smiled to himself as he hugged him back. Jeff hadn't touched him like this in weeks, even when they reunited during their last mission after being separated for several days. Jeff had been hesitant, had seemed embarrassed to greet him physically. Bogg understood that it was just part of growing up, but it had been hard to resist giving the kid a good hug, he'd been so relieved to see him.

"What d'you need?" Jeff whispered, interrupting Bogg's thought.

"Water."

"He needs water," Jeff turned his head and barked the order to the staff, but they were already in action, bringing not only water, but a chair as well.  
Jeff eased him down into the chair and watched him worriedly as he took a long drink. Under the exhaustion and dirt, he seemed okay, but Jeff wouldn't be convinced immediately. Then he heard a familiar voice.

"That was a stupid thing to do!"

Jeff turned to face the other voyager who had returned with his partner, it was Dan Steel.

"I don't think so," Phineas replied quietly.

"You could've gotten us both killed, and all those people saw us disappear!" Dan shouted.

"They were gonna kill that boy."

Jeff's eyes traveled from man to man as they argued.

"They were just gonna put him on the train!"

"Same as killing him."

"I told you that according to the guidebook, he wasn't important to history."

Bogg reached out for Jeff's arm and squeezed it as he whispered, "I was shot."

Jeff's eyes widened, "shot? Where?"

"Just my arm, it's not too bad, but I need a doctor."

"He's been shot!" Jeff called out to the staff again. Suddenly they were surrounded by medical personnel and Jeff was pushed back.

As the team started to work, Bogg spoke in Jeff's direction, "they always act like this, don't worry."

Suddenly Bogg was gone and Jeff was standing with Dan Steel and Trevor Dillon.

"What happened?" Trevor asked bluntly.

"He couldn't have been shot, there was no gunfire!" Dan explained.

"What happened?" Trevor repeated.

"We had to protect Miep Gies so she could hide Anne Frank and her family. I got beat up and couldn't get to her, so I sent the distress call. Phineas found me, I told him what to do, and he did it. But he had no papers and they thought he was a Jew so they put him in a holding cell until they could identify him. I finally managed to find him there and break him out. That's it."

"What about the boy that wasn't important to history?" Jeff said menacingly.

"Who're you to question me?" Steel's voice was icy.

"Answer him," Trevor interrupted.

"It was just a kid, that's all, nothing special. We were sneaking out of town and we saw him get picked up by the police. Phineas jumped the Nazis and the kid escaped, but a dozen of them came down on us and we had to omni out in front of the whole crowd of them."

Jeff stared at him in contempt. "So he saved a kid's life and you didn't think that was important."

"Not to history! We were there to fix history! Not to omni out in front of a crowd. That's not what Voyagers do!"

"So when did he get shot?" Jeff asked quietly.

"I don't know, look, I never heard any gunfire."

"But you were separated when he was in jail."

"That was 3 days ago."

"It took you three days to get him out of that cell?" Jeff shouted.

"Calm down," Trevor counseled putting a restraining hand on Jeff's shoulder. "What happened?" he asked Steel.

"I had to recover first, then find him and then figure out how to get him out."

The room was suddenly silent, and then Jeff heard the click of Trevor's communicator. "Inform the Medical Center that Voyager Bogg was shot sometime during the last three days." Trevor paused and turned to Steel, "we lost the tracking on his omni, can you think why?"

"The cell was in the basement of a cannon factory. There were raw materials for manufacturing down there."


	15. The Last Piece of Beef Jerky

**An Alternate Life AU**

**Chapter 14 The Last Piece of Beef Jerky**

Jeff leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and stared at the floor. It had been only two hours since Bogg had been brought to the medical unit, but to Jeff it seemed like an eternity. Finally, Sid Bradshaw, a doctor that Jeff knew very well, walked through the door and approached.

Jeff stood up. "How is he?"

"He's tired, dehydrated and has a fever."

"What about the bullet?"

"It's been in there awhile, the wound is infected, but it's a small caliber slug and didn't hit any vital areas. Phineas was right, it's not a bad wound as bullet wounds go. I'll operate later tonight after he's had some fluids and antibiotics."

"He'll be all right then?"

"I think so."

"Can I see him?"

Jeff sat beside the bed and watched Phineas sleep. He knew that technically, Dan had been right and Bogg had been wrong. Their job had been to fix history, and the Guidebook had not mentioned the boy. But, Jeffrey also knew that his partner couldn't bear to leave someone in harm's way, especially a child. He knew from experience that Bogg had a very kind heart. He wiped his eyes and tried to think good thoughts.

Suddenly a memory flashed before his eyes. They were on a battlefield with an English soldier when they found out that a British princess had married a Russian and they knew they had to prevent that marriage. That scene would have been forgotten if not for the next thing that happened, because it was something that Jeffrey never forgot. He watched again in his mind's eye as Bogg handed his last piece of beef jerky to the soldier because he was hungry. Jeff had never asked Bogg about that, but he had thought about it a lot. He knew that the soldier would disappear soon because he was in a timeline that never would have happened. Bogg had given his only food to someone who would never need it. As he thought about this, Jeff felt sure that even if that boy had been in an alternate timeline, Bogg would have tried to help him too.

Another thought formed shortly afterward. That he was probably the only person alive who had seen Bogg do things like that. No one else could know Bogg the way he did and he suddenly felt very privileged to have been a witness to such acts of kindness.

"Hey," Bogg whispered softly.

Jeff looked up and saw his friend's eyes open. "Hi," Jeff whispered, "how ya doin?"

"Better, thanks."

"You're gonna be okay."

"I didn't wanna leave with us fighting, but I didn't have a choice."

Jeff shook his head, "like you said, nothing's changed between us. Just be okay, all right?"

"I know you think I'm overprotective, but I just…. I'm doing the best I can. You just gotta put up with me." He closed his eyes and sighed.

"You're doin okay," Jeff's voice broke.


	16. Family

**An Alternate Life AU**

**Chapter 16 Family**

The next time Bogg opened his eyes, the sun was streaming in the window and Jeff was dozing in a chair across the room. He moved cautiously and then stretched. The pain from the bullet wound was dull yet he felt surprisingly wide awake and smiled. He would let Jeffrey sleep, the kid had probably been up much of the night.

"Hello," whispered a pretty nurse as she approached the bed.

"Hi."

She glanced over at Jeff, "your son refused to leave last night."

"He can be pretty stubborn," he paused and smiled, "how'd you know he was my son?"

"I tried to send him home when we took you to the OR to remove the bullet. He told me in no uncertain terms that he was your son and family was allowed to stay."

"Oh." He smiled, thinking that no matter the situation, when the chips were down, Jeff stuck with him like glue. No matter how defiant he got in the throes of adolescence, that was something that never seemed to change. "So, how am I?" he asked.

"The bullet's out," she answered and smiled back, "you look pretty good to me."

Phineas smiled again, amazed at how well he was feeling.

"Hey, you're awake," Jeff said as he sat up. He moved beside the bed and smiled as the nurse walked out.

"Yeah, I'm doin pretty good."

The next day, Bogg was discharged and they walked back to the apartment. Once inside, Phineas stopped and stared at the piano that was now positioned against a wall of the sitting room. "What's that doing here?"

"I know your arm hurts now, but I thought you might like to play when it feels better, before we get back into the field."

Bogg paused, considering what to say. "I can't play, remember?" he said, and was surprised to hear an edge to his voice.

"I'm sorry I didn't believe you," Jeff told him. Then he suddenly balled up his fists and cried out, "why didn't you make me?"

Still Phineas didn't answer. Finally he took a deep breath. "I did tell you …twice…and you didn't believe me either time. So I stopped telling you. No one wants to be made fun of you know." Phineas' tone became angrier the more he spoke. "Anyway, it's not important," he finished quietly.

"Yes it is!" Jeff yelled at him.

"It's only the piano."

"We're supposed to be a family!" Jeff grabbed his good arm and made him stop. A tear spilled out of each eye, "families know this kind of stuff about each other ... "

"You made fun of me."

"I asked you to play and you wouldn't, what was I supposed to think?"

Phineas looked away, then shook his head. "I hadn't played in years, do you think anybody who hadn't played in so long could just sit down and play something? Especially in front of a critic who was just waiting for them to make a mistake?"

Jeff looked at the floor and didn't respond.

"And you said you took lessons, so I figured you were a lot better than me and you'd know how bad I was."

Jeff waited, but Bogg didn't continue.

"Keep going," Jeff prompted him quietly.

"Look, I don't care that you make fun of me about most things, but I care about this," he paused, "I'm not very good at it, but it's fun, I like it, that's all. I just don't want you to make fun of it."

"I bet you ARE good," Jeff replied.

Bogg shook his head, "don't lie to me kid. I know you could play rings around me."

"I'm not lying," Jeff began. "Do you want to know why I didn't think you could play, I mean really?" When Bogg looked at him he continued. "It's because I can't. I took lessons for 3 years Bogg, and even when I was practicing all the time, I could never play half as good as you probably do." Jeff paused, "it's because I have no talent for it," he finished quietly.

"I don't believe that."

"It's true, my mom didn't want to believe it either. I tried to tell her, because I knew, but she wouldn't listen." Jeff's voice got softer as he talked about his mother. "She was really musical, and she wanted me to be too," he finished in an even softer voice.

"I guess parents always want their kids to be a little like them," Phineas told him.

"I guess."

The next day, Phineas and Jeffrey walked to the library for some sheet music and two days after that, Phineas Bogg sat down at the piano and began to play. Jeffrey lay back on the couch, a notebook in his lap, writing the reflection component of the Alternate Technology project. He thought back to the scene of himself in 1986, about to rob a store and possibly hurt someone in the process. He'd thought a lot about that during the past few days. His other self had been so angry, he had seemed like another person. Would Jeff really have been angry enough for his life to have taken that turn? Reluctantly, he realized the answer was yes. Even with Bogg, in the beginning, there were times when he'd felt very angry that his parents had died. The difference was that he'd been with Bogg, and every angry episode seemed to end with tears and companionship, not isolation or violence.

The project had started out as a way to prove that being picked up by just about any voyager would have been better than Bogg. But he'd proved just the opposite. If he was truthful in his reflection, he'd say that he had learned how lucky he was.

Later that night, Jeff thought about the music Bogg had played. It was true that he had made some mistakes, and that he had played the difficult parts over and over again. Before their conversation, Jeff might have teased him and made a joke about it. Now he realized that he could never do that. The piano was important to Bogg and it might hurt his feelings. It was obvious that Bogg enjoyed playing, because when he stopped he was happy.

There was another funny thing about Bogg's playing that surprised Jeff. When he made mistakes it made Jeff feel like they were home, like a regular family, just being normal. The things they usually did and the people they met always seemed to be so exciting and larger than life. But writing his reflection essay while Bogg made mistakes on the piano just seemed warm and friendly, like a normal home. Since home was a different place every day, that feeling seemed even more precious to Jeffrey and he realized he had a lot to be thankful for.

Happy Thanksgiving!


End file.
